15 Daesh terrorists killed in airstrikes, shelling in northern Syria
|File Photo


Turkish airstrikes and shelling have killed 15 Daesh terrorists as part of the operation to liberate the northern Syrian town of al-Bab from terrorists, the military said on Tuesday.

The Turkish military shelled a total of 109 identified targets, including some shelters, defense positions, command centers, weapons and vehicles used by Daesh terrorists.

Four targets were hit by Turkish warplanes, destroying four buildings used as shelters by the terrorist organization.

Coalition Air Forces also conducted airstrikes, destroying four buildings and killing a total of 29 Daesh terrorists.

During clean-up operations of mines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one Turkish soldier was killed and two others were injured.

The wounded soldiers were immediately brought to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

The Turkish military continues to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of civilians in the area, the statement added.

The Turkish army is supporting Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters in liberating al-Bab, a strategic city for Daesh, from the terrorist group. Tuesday marks the 182nd day since the city was surrounded in order to liberate it.

The military action is part of the Turkish-led Operation Euphrates Shield, which began in late August to improve security, support coalition forces, and eliminate the terror threat along Turkey's border using FSA fighters backed by Turkish artillery and jets.

Meanwhile, the FSA reportedly retaliated to attacks in the northern Syrian town of Azaz by the PKK-affiliated Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, the People's Protection Units (YPG).

The YPG previously disrupted the FSA's fight against Daesh around al-Bab. As the FSA prepared for an extensive operation in al-Bab last November, the YPG-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) approached the town from the east, fighting the FSA to take control of villages along the way.

"The SDF tried to exploit our fight against Daesh, striking us where we were relatively weaker," an FSA commander told the Daily Sabah.

There were also rumors that the Turkish-military backed FSA could target PYD-held Afrin in the near future, as Ankara categorizes the PYD a terrorist group because of its links to the PKK.